8205 - We lost one.

[scottobear]

GREENACRES, Fla. -- The body of an 8-year-old autistic boy was found in a retaining pond 100 feet from his home Friday, one day after police launched a massive search for him. Jared McGuire's mother told authorities she had last seen him sleeping on the couch Thursday afternoon. After she reported him missing, police scoured the area with officers, dogs and a helicopter. Police in this Palm Beach County town issued an Amber Alert after a witness reported seeing a child matching Jared's description being forced into a dirty white mid-'90s Chevrolet van with a sliding passenger door. It is now unclear whether that witness was mistaken. "We are still looking into the abduction angle," Greenacres police Lt. Michael Porath said. But because the boy was found so close to home, that appears less likely than it had, he said. An autopsy will be conducted Friday afternoon to determine a cause of death, Porath said. Authorities said Jared suffered from severe autism that required medication and that he had trouble speaking.

---

It seems like the poor kid was dead before we even got the call to help in the search The mother must be a wreck. One minute the child's having a nap, the next, he's gone - with folks saying some guy snatched him... the following morning, dead not more than 100 feet from the house?

On top of that, she's going to be investigated within an inch of her life, too. I hope for all involved that it isn't foul play on her part.

Comments

[constance1010.livejournal.com]

Oh man.. I saw the breaking news alert looking for him last night and it made me sad because he is Sharon's age.

Poor family... they are in my thoughts.

[juliabee.livejournal.com]

As soon as I saw your subject line, I knew what the rest was going to say.

Poor little boy. :((((

I hope the parents didn't have anything to do with it, either.

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

I really hate it when we don't get a happy ending.

[silentyrs.livejournal.com]

oh wow, I feel so sorry for the families. This is why people shouldn't keep ponds unfenced. One of my friends ran outside when he was about 5 and fell into an inground pool. He almost drowned. =(

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

I feel for them, too.. it's got to be horrid to lose a child like that. totally out of the blue.

[eryx-uk.livejournal.com]

Thats a sad story. :(

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

yeah, it sucks when you can't save one.

[ilenebook.livejournal.com]

It must be hard for you when this happens but it was too quick.
So sad...so very sad.

[richykid.livejournal.com]

='(

Very sad. My nephew is Autistic, he loves the water but doesn't really know how to swim. He'd jump right into a pool and drown if you let him. Hearing this makes me glad there are no bodies of water anywhere near his house.

[weezeroni.livejournal.com]

Poor little boy. Poor family.

[oneeyedcat.livejournal.com]

that's awful. just awful.